Orphan
by guesser-tlfc
Summary: Here is the story of a young orphan of the Matrix, searching for the Truth.
1. meet him

Orphan  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Well, this is my second stab at a Matrix fic. Hope this goes well.  
  
Summary: This is the story of an Orphan of the Matrix, and of Zion.  
  
Disclaimer: The Wachowskis and Warner Bros. own all. I own nothing. I am in no way affiliated with the Matrix. I'm just taking the brothers' world for a spin.  
  
Here goes nothing. . . . . . .  
  
He sat in his room, in silence. Well, he sat in what passed as silence. Somewhere, someone was crying. 'New one,' he thought. The new ones always cried loudly, but then they learned to cry quietly, got used to this place or were moved so far away that almost no one heard their cries any more.  
  
He didn't remember crying when he'd arrived. Then again, he didn't remember how he had gotten there in the first place. He didn't remember what is felt like to cry. He felt pain often, but he never cried. He couldn't see the point. All crying could do was get him in trouble. He was in trouble often enough as it was.  
  
He paid no more attention to the cries. They were a common occurrence in a place like the one he was in. The people saw it as a prison, a punishment. They hated it. He hated it as much as any of them. It was a prison, but it was also the only place he remembered living. He knew that he had to get out. He would, but first he needed to find the answers to his questions. If he left, he would not have access to computers, to the Internet. The streets weren't lined with modems after all, so he stayed. He lived in crap, and he knew it, but at least it was shelter. Shelter was not free though. There was always payment. So, he paid for his shelter, his modem, and his prison with his blood, while so many others paid with their tears.  
  
That night he was taking care of a sprained wrist, a few scrapes, and the reopened welts that crossed his back. He had gotten off easy, considering. It had been worth it, though. He had learned much. He had hacked into the FBI archives, and he had gotten another glimpse of his face. Morpheus. Morpheus was considered to be one of the most dangerous terrorists on the planet, but that's not how he was in his eyes. To him, Morpheus was a mystery, and the solution of that mystery, would result in answers. He had questions, and Morpheus had the answers. He knew it. All he had to do was find Morpheus, and all of his questions would be answered. If he could meet Morpheus, and live long enough to ask, he knew that he would get his answers.  
  
What is the Matrix? That question had plagued him for over two years. That was quite an amount of time, considering that he was only fourteen years old. He didn't know why he was sure, he just was. Nothing around him ever seemed right, except for Morpheus. He was he only thing in his world that made sense. That was why, he was willing to pay in blood for any scraps of information that would help him unravel him the mystery that was Morpheus.  
  
He winced, as he touched his wrist, making sure that it really was just a sprain. It was.  
  
The next hours were passed cleaning cuts, wincing, and listening to the chorus of quiet sobs.  
  
He would get out. He had to. Morpheus would help him.  
  
. . . . . Well, that was my first chapter. Hope it was okay. Reviews? Please? 


	2. wait for the truth

Well, thanks to my one reviewer, here's the second chapter. I guess not many people like my story. Oh well, I like it, so I'll continue it for at least another chapter, so here it is.  
  
For disclaimer see first chapter.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Finally, two hours before dawn he fell asleep, only to be awakened three hours later by a piercing scream of "Roach!!! Get up!!" as one of the many disciplinarians passed his door. She didn't even stop to look in on him. It wasn't her problem if her didn't get up. He'd be the one in trouble, not her.  
  
Letting out an inaudible groan, the boy, Roach got up. He had to get up today. If he didn't, not only would he be left without food, but also he'd get a whipping to boot. Most days nobody cared whether he ate or not, but on this particular day, a couple was coming to the orphanage to look at him. He used to get excited at the prospect of being adopted. He used to try his best to please his possible parents, but they always turned him down, and so he stopped trying. There was no point wasting his breath on it, really.  
  
Still, he hauled his ass out of bed, got dressed, ran his fingers through his hair, and went to the mess hall.  
  
He sat alone. For a while he had tried to have friends, but all of the decent kids eventually either turned into assholes or got adopted. The rest were whiny pains in the ass to begin with, so he didn't bother talking to them. The food was okay though. The one thing this place didn't do was starve them. True, every kid in the place was skinnier than he ought to be, but nobody outright starved. They were having scrambled eggs. They were too runny, but overall decent.  
  
Finishing, he got up from the table, and made his over to 'The Office', where he would meet the next batch of 'parents'.  
  
Getting to the door, he saw Jonah there. He was a good guy, always an optimist. Sometimes he too was a pain, but who wasn't. Roach tried not to wince as Jonah clapped him on the back in greeting.  
  
"Hey Roach," he said. " Maybe this time, eh?"  
  
"Yeah, right." was Roach's reply. He didn't feel like being rude, but he wasn't in the mood for pointless conversation. He just wanted to get it over with.  
  
He knocked. Ms. Watts, the biggest bitch he'd ever met, and also the director of the orphanage opened the door, and let him in.  
  
"Good morning," she said in a painfully cheerful voice. "Come in Jaesom. Meet Mr. and Mrs. Locklem." She nodded towards the elderly couple inside the room.  
  
The pair stared at him, calculating. 'Here we go' thought Roach.  
  
The Bitch settled into her huge, ugly chair, and started. Everything went just as he had expected. They asked him a whole bunch of empty, bullshit questions, and he gave answers that were equally empty and bullshit. He spaced out, his mind wandering back to Morpheus as the monotonous conversation dragged on.  
  
Finally, after an hour of mind numbing questions, they were done.  
  
"It was nice speaking with you, Jaesom," said Mr. Locklem, getting up to shake his hand. He had a strong grip. Roach just barely restrained a scream of pain as Mr. Locklem vigorously shook his sprained wrist, dislocating it. He said nothing though.  
  
They walked out.  
  
He ran.  
  
He stumbled into his room, and tried to fix his wrist. The joint popped back into place with an audible click.  
  
He spent the rest of the day in his room, staring at the ceiling, remembering, or trying to at least. The Bitch had called him Jaesom. As one point that had been his name. He had been Jaesom Lotner. His mother had called him Jae. That was one of the few things he remembered about her. So, when had Jae turned into Roach? At what point had Jaesom become the name he was called when his actual name seemed too inappropriate?  
  
It got dark, and with the darkness came the time to work. With the ease that came from years of nights of practice, Roach picked the lock to the computer lab. He didn't bother using in the day when he was allowed to. There was nothing he could do with all those disciplinarians breathing down his neck.  
  
It hurt his wrist to type, but he worked in silence for about 40 minutes, before his screen went black. Roach blinked, and as he did, letters appeared on the screen. He leaned in.  
  
'Orphan', they said. 'Do you want to know?'  
  
'Y,' he typed.  
  
'Wait. Sleep. Soon the Truth will come for you. Let it come.'  
  
Before Roach could register what had happened, the screen flashed, and the computer began to restart.  
  
He watched for a few seconds, dazed. Then he hit the power button, rendering the machine lifeless.  
  
"Morpheus," he whispered. Morpheus was coming for him. Quietly, Roach went back to his room. He could think there. He didn't need to get caught two nights in a row.  
  
It would hurt a lot more if he were.  
  
He lay in bed, restless. All he had to do now was wait.  
  
His answers would come. He knew it now.  
  
Well, there's my second chapter. I've finally gotten to the actual plot. Please review!!! Please? 


	3. meetings

Thank you for the reviews, guys. I'd love more. *hint* Here's the next chapter. I hope you like.  
  
For disclaimer see first chapter.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Roach didn't sleep that night. How could he? Soon, his questions would be answered. He was certain. He believed. As day drew closer, things felt more and more right. All he had to do was wait. Then, dawn. He watched the sun rise through the small window in his room. He followed the slow progress of its beam of light as it traveled across his room. Finally, as the light was about to reach him, Roach got up. He hadn't bothered undressing the night before, and he saw no point in brushing his teeth, so he went directly to the mess hall. Runny eggs. What a surprise.  
  
He day went as every other. Food. Chores. Lessons. Food. Chores. Free time. Food. Bed. Work. Sleep.  
  
He went through these rounds again and again, but they did not annoy him as they had before. Why? Because unlike before he knew that soon they would end. Soon, when he got his answers, he would leave this place. They couldn't keep him. He went to his computers every night, waiting, searching, until finally, just as it had before, his screen went black.  
  
Before a message appeared, Roach hurriedly typed in,  
  
'What is the Matrix?' He had been waiting for so long to ask that question.  
  
'That is a question that I can answer, but not here and not now.'  
  
'When? Where?'  
  
'If you truly wish to know, be at the intersection at 3rd and Jane in 2 hours.' Again, the screen went black, the computer started to reboot.  
  
Roach jumped up, and ran to his room. This was it!!! It was time. It felt right. He wasn't scared. He didn't know why, but he trusted in this. He knew that all the doors were guarded at night, and so he pried his window open, and escaped into the night.  
  
Carefully, he crept off the orphanage property and into the city streets.  
  
He had never been in the city without the orphanage people. It felt so different, so liberating. The night was quiet, and the skies were clear, and Roach was running. He needed to travel quite a distance to get to the intersection.  
  
When breathless, he arrived; there was nobody there. He waited. Minutes crawled by. Then, just as his excitement was starting to wear off, a motorcycle pulled up to the curb. On it was a woman, clad in black. " Get on," she said.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I am taking you where you wan to go."  
  
Without a word of protest, he climbed onto the back, and the two sped off. Roach had never gone so fast in his life.  
  
It was over almost before it had begun, and Roach found himself facing a door. He hesitated. The woman saw it. " Go," she said. "Your answers are in there."  
  
That sealed it. Roach pushed the door open and he entered.  
  
As soon as he laid eyes on him, he knew him. Morpheus.  
  
"Welcome," he said. "Sit."  
  
And so Roach did. He couldn't help but obey this man.  
  
Morpheus sat in front of Roach, and looked him over from behind his shades. "You know why you came, but do you know why you are here?" he asked.  
  
Roach was confused. "I came for answers and I am here to receive them."  
  
"Yes, in a way. You are here to decide whether you truly want your answers or not, but to decide, you must first ask the question."  
  
"What is the Matrix?"  
  
A small smile crept over Morpheus' face. " Yes, that is the question. Before I answer, let me first ask you something. Do you know why you ask?"  
  
"I need to know. I feel it."  
  
"There. Right there. You FEEL it. What do you feel?"  
  
"I feel.restless. Wrong. I feel that the answer will make everything feel right."  
  
"Good. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. It is this feeling that makes you different. You feel the Matrix. The Matrix is all around us. It is everywhere. It is right before your eyes, but you can't see it. I cannot tell what the Matrix is. No one can. I can however, pull the veil away from your eyes. To understand what the Matrix is, you must see it, but once you see the Matrix, your life will never be the same. Everything must change. So now, we have come back to the reason for your being here. Do you want to see the Matrix? Do you want to know the Truth? Are you ready to sacrifice all that you know in order to understand it? If you are ready, take the red pill." Morpheus held it out to him. " If you are not, if you wish to go back to your life, take the blue one." He held it out.  
  
Slowly, Roach reached for the red pill. Giving up his life wouldn't be so bad. His life was crap as it was. He doubted that this would make it worse.  
  
Morpheus watched as he took the pill. "Come with me."  
  
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Okay, well, there's the next chapter. Reviews are welcome and much appreciated. 


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